About Us

Trauma Sensitive Yoga Australia is a community of yoga teachers and mental health clinicians who have an interest in expanding the awareness of trauma sensitive practises within the traditional yoga class format and clinical setting. The aim of this community is to educate and develop an awareness of the benefits of these techniques in conjunction with the psychological support that clients in trauma recovery may already be receiving. We are interested in enhancing the trauma sensitive yoga skills of yoga teachers and mental health clinicians, as well as being able to support clients in recovery find their closest trauma sensitive yoga class or trauma informed mental health clinician. We are a voluntary , independent organisation committed to raising the awareness and application of trauma sensitive yoga practices throughout Australia.

Annabel McLisky

Annabel McLisky is a psychologist in private practice in Bangalow, Northern New South Wales, and has been teaching yoga since 1978. She is an IYTA teacher and Senior Tutor in Dru Yoga and Dru Meditation Teacher Training courses around Australia. Annabel is excited that the deep physical and emotional healing enabled by the practice of yoga is at last being recognised, accepted, and valued by the psychological fraternity, and that people with a history of trauma now have the possibility to reclaim their bodies through the practice of Trauma Sensitive Yoga.

Arthur Sharp

Arthur is a yoga teacher and meditation teacher. He has a passion for connecting people with supporting services and is determined to bring Yoga to the assistance of people who have experienced trauma. Arthur presents Richard Miller's , i-Rest Yoga Nidra in the training.

Shirley Hicks

Shirley Hicks is a practising somatic psychotherapist and yoga teacher, with a private clinic based at Varsity Lakes. Shirley has a real interest in how the body carries unresolved life events and how through “talk therapies” the body is often missed. With over 22 years clinical experience she has refined the way in which she supports clients to involve their body in the healing process, drawing on the work of Judith Herman, Babette Rothschild, Peter Levine and Bessel van der Kolk. Shirley is also a facilitator with the BlueKnot Foundation, an organisation committed to advocacy and education for survivors of Childhood abuse. Shirley provides trauma informed yoga programs for the Queensland Mental Illness Fellowship as well as running private, in house Yoga for Emotional Resilience programs, incorporating the principles of trauma sensitive yoga within a frame of curiosity, present moment awareness and a good measure of humour and compassion. She is a clinical member of PACFA( Psychotherapists and Counsellors Federation of Australia) , as well as a Mental Health Practitioner and Supervisor with PACFA.